The European Southern Observatory (my employer) runs three observatories in Chile: Paranal, where I work, in Antofagasta; APEX, in San Pedro de Atacama, and La Silla, near La Serena, the first ESO observatory in Chile, built almost 40 years ago, a legend itself. It was there that the first extrasolar planet was discovered, for instance. It is a place full of experience at all levels, respectful and mythical and still with some people that are there from the very beginning. The concept was different from Paranal. ESO, as an european organization, provided the land and the infrastructure (power, network, food, accommodation), while each member state had to build its own telescope. Therefore, La Silla is a mountaintop full of small hemispherical domes that resemble more of an observatory than Paranal itself. It looks like it was taken from a sci-fi fairytale.
Nowadays, La Silla is told to be suffering from obsolescence, though it feels like it may be just perceptive obsolescence. It is just not fashion anymore, compared to Paranal, not as advanced nor profitable. However, astronomers still visit La Silla on a regular basis and a lot of science is still made from there. Plans include to migrate almost all personnel to Paranal, leaving just the basic infrastructure and technical support, in what can be seen as a slow agonizing death. Right now, there are just three telescopes run by ESO, the largest has 3.60m diameter, far from the impressive 8.4m of Paranal VLT. There is also a swiss telescope run independently from ESO (old-fashion style), whose lone technician is actually my house mate. All the rest are inoperative already.
I work in Paranal with many people that came from La Silla and with some that are already in the transition process, doing alternate shifts in both observatories. I had heard so many stories about it that I definitely wanted to go and visit. The opportunity came as one of my colleagues in electronics had to go there to do a small project in fiber optics for one shift. I immediately offered to go with him and help and it was approved. On one hand, it was like arriving at Paranal, in the middle of the desert, a lot of familiar people and more or less the same daily philosophy. After a week though, things did look different. The food is more homemade style, tasteful. I ate a lot! People are even more relaxed than in Paranal as there are less operating problems. There are several coffee breaks during the week, in different places each day, where the few people left gather and talk about many things, including job issues. The landscape in not as rough as the northern desert, it has some vegetation and wild animals. I saw snakes, birds, some small mammals and even wild donkeys! Sunrises and sunsets are gorgeous as well.
In short, it was another great experience. We finished the task in half of the shift, which gave me some time to enjoy more of La Silla. I visited the different telescopes, went on one afternoon for a walk in the desert, to see some of the many ancient petroglyphs that surround La Silla mountain and some groups of wild donkeys, had an underground poker night, some snooker and an aperitive at the swiss telescope. It was a great shift, perfect to decompress from Paranal routines. I wouldn't certainly mind to go back...
The European Southern Observatory (my employer) runs three observatories in Chile: Paranal, where I work, in Antofagasta; APEX, in San Pedro de Atacama, and La Silla, near La Serena, the first ESO observatory in Chile, built almost 40 years ago, a legend itself. It was there that the first extrasolar planet was discovered, for instance. It is a place full of experience at all levels, respectful and mythical and still with some people that are there from the very beginning. The concept was different from Paranal. ESO, as an european organization, provided the land and the infrastructure (power, network, food, accommodation), while each member state had to build its own telescope. Therefore, La Silla is a mountaintop full of small hemispherical domes that resemble more of an observatory than Paranal itself. It looks like it was taken from a sci-fi fairytale.
Nowadays, La Silla is told to be suffering from obsolescence, though it feels like it may be just perceptive obsolescence. It is just not fashion anymore, compared to Paranal, not as advanced nor profitable. However, astronomers still visit La Silla on a regular basis and a lot of science is still made from there. Plans include to migrate almost all personnel to Paranal, leaving just the basic infrastructure and technical support, in what can be seen as a slow agonizing death. Right now, there are just three telescopes run by ESO, the largest has 3.60m diameter, far from the impressive 8.4m of Paranal VLT. There is also a swiss telescope run independently from ESO (old-fashion style), whose lone technician is actually my house mate. All the rest are inoperative already.
I work in Paranal with many people that came from La Silla and with some that are already in the transition process, doing alternate shifts in both observatories. I had heard so many stories about it that I definitely wanted to go and visit. The opportunity came as one of my colleagues in electronics had to go there to do a small project in fiber optics for one shift. I immediately offered to go with him and help and it was approved. On one hand, it was like arriving at Paranal, in the middle of the desert, a lot of familiar people and more or less the same daily philosophy. After a week though, things did look different. The food is more homemade style, tasteful. I ate a lot! People are even more relaxed than in Paranal as there are less operating problems. There are several coffee breaks during the week, in different places each day, where the few people left gather and talk about many things, including job issues. The landscape in not as rough as the northern desert, it has some vegetation and wild animals. I saw snakes, birds, some small mammals and even wild donkeys! Sunrises and sunsets are gorgeous as well.
In short, it was another great experience. We finished the task in half of the shift, which gave me some time to enjoy more of La Silla. I visited the different telescopes, went on one afternoon for a walk in the desert, to see some of the many ancient petroglyphs that surround La Silla mountain and some groups of wild donkeys, had an underground poker night, some snooker and an aperitive at the swiss telescope. It was a great shift, perfect to decompress from Paranal routines. I wouldn't certainly mind to go back...
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